Agenda item

    Report by Executive Director Alistair Cunningham OBE.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member, introduced a report a which presented a Housing Revenue Account Business Plan model and a Phase 3 Development Programme.  It was noted the development was entirely funded through borrowing, grants and Right to Buy receipts.

The Leader expressed support for the building of council houses and a commitment to support this in the future.

It was noted the buildings would be designed to a high standard.

Resolved:

a) To agree the Housing revenue account business plan 2020/21-2050 as set out in Appendix 1

b) To agree to Council house, build programme phases 3.1 and 3.2 as set out in Appendix 1 at total cost of £18.717m and £ 18.754m

c) To agree to delegate to Director of Housing and Commercial development authority to seek planning permission for sites within CHBP 3.1 and 3.2 and enter into contracts for Professional Services and Construction.

d) To agree to delegate to the Director of Housing and Commercial Development in consultation with the Cabinet member for Corporate Services, Housing, Heritage, Arts and Tourism the authority to make offers for affordable housing offered by developers in lieu of compliance with affordable housing obligations in Section 106 agreements up to no more than 10% above the amounts as set out in Appendix 2.

e) To agree to delegate to the Director of Housing and Commercial Development authority to make bids to Homes England for social housing grant in line with assumptions set in Appendix 2 and enter into funding agreements if the bids are successful.

f) To agree that if individual schemes identified in the council house build programme phase 3.1 and phase 3.2 as set out in Appendix 2 prove not to be viable, the substitution of schemes within the overall programme budget is delegated to the Director of Housing and commercial development and Director of Finance and procurement in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Housing, Heritage, Arts and Tourism.

g) To delegate authority to the Director of Housing and Commercial Development in liaison with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Housing, Heritage, Arts and Tourism and the Director Finance & Procurement to substitute and change funding streams to optimise financing of the Council house build programme phase 3.1 and 3.2. HRA borrowing will not exceed £ 8.762m in 2020/21 and £ 11.986m in 2021/22 but other funding streams may be increased

or decreased as required providing that they stay within available

allocation and do not affect the total budget position.

Reasons for decision:

A review of the HRA business plan following the removal of the cap on borrowing that can be financed by the HRA has shown that there is capacity to support a new Council House Build Programme phase 3. Subject to the assumptions in the HRA business plan there is capacity to support development of 1000 new Council homes over the next 10 years. This report seeks agreement to the first element of that phase 3 programme and delegation of authority to procure that programme of 228 units.